Snow liquefying device



March 2, 1965 w. J. MILLER 3,171,405

SNOW LIQUEFYING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1963 4 SheetsSheet l FIG.I

INVENTOR.

WILLIAM J. MILLER ATTORNEY March 2, 1965 w. J. MILLER 3,171,405

snow LIQUEFYING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 9s 3 O O O O r O m INVENTOR WILLIAM J. MILLER ATTORNEY March 2, 1965 w. J. MILLER 3,171,405

SNOW LIQUEFYING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM J. MILLER FIG.4 Wm/ ATTORNEY March 2, 1965 w. J. MILLER 3,171,405

snow LIQUEFYING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 s In 53 v s V N) v v V m J S m LO I\ V Q LL {2 e 9 a Q 2 s; S J x 03 (D I" I f; gr I I l l E! L I- g I I l l I I I II I I I INVENTOR a WILLIAM J. MILLER N (\I BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,171,405 SNOW LIQUEFYING DEVICE William J. Miller, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor of onethird each to William F. Scheetz, Canfield, and William F. Miller and John H. Miller, Youngstown, Ohio Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 309,034 4 Claims. (Cl. 126343.5)

This invention relates to a device for disposing of snow by liquefying the same and more particularly to a device which is portable and capable of being moved from one location to another. I

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device for rapidly and efiiciently liquefying snow.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device for liquefying snow through a combination of heat and agitation in a liquid bath.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device for liquefying snow which is self-contained and which is provided with a drain so that the liquefied snow may be conveniently disposed of.

The device for liquefying snow disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices and in particular in that it utilizes all of the heat generated in the device by applying it to a bath in which the snow being liquefied is placed. The snow liquefying device disclosed herein provides a tank-like construction in which the snow is positioned, the lower portion of the tank being normally filled with water which surrounds and covers a combination heat exchanger and agitator unit. Heat is supplied from an oil burner with the products of combustion directed into a portion of the heat exchanger along with a source of secondary air which mixes with the heated gases in the heat exchanger and emerges therewith through a plurality of orifices in the heat exchanger to cause a desirable agitation in the liquid bath. The resulting action has been found to be most efficient in rapidly liquefying snow placed in the tank.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the snow liquefying device.

FIGURE 2. is a side elevation with parts broken away and parts in cross section.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of FIGURE 2 on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of FIGURE 2 on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section on line 55 of FIG- URE 2.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that a snow liquefying device has been disclosed which comprises a rectangular frame 10, the rear portion of which is supported on wheel and axle assemblies 11 as customary in the trailer art and the front end of which is detachably secured to a triangular subframe 12 which is provided with a ground engaging wheel and a towing connection 14. The rear portion of the rectangular frame directly supports a rectangular tank having a shaped bottom 15 extending between vertically standing sides 16, 16 and vertically standing front and back walls 17, 17 and 18, 18. The sides 16, 16 are preferably offset outwardly between their upper and lower edges and a rectangular top portion 19 is positioned thereon which extends inwardly and downwardly a short distance and provides a modified chute-like structure around the large open center area defined thereby through which snow to be liquefied is placed in the tank of the device.

By referring to FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the bottom 15 comprises two side portions which slope inwardly and downwardly toward the center thereof which center portion comprises a longitudinally tapered channel 20 having its shallowest portion adjacent the front wall 17 of the tank and its deepest portion adjacent the back Wall 18 of the tank. The back wall 18 has a clean-cut opening 21 therein which is normally closed by a closure member 22 and which communicates directly with the rearmost portion of the channel 29 so that gravel, stones and other debris which are received in the snow liquefying device along with snow may be periodically removed therefrom. The side walls 16 of the tank have supporting brackets 23, 23 secured thereto in oppositely disposed relation and which supporting brackets engage and hold a transverse heat exchanger 24 in elevated relation to the bottom of the tank. The transverse heat exchanger 24 is a hollow member, as may best be seen in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings, having three spaced depending portions 25, 26 and 27 respectively, each of which is rounded at its lowermost end and each of which communicates at its uppermost end with a common transverse chamber in the heat exchanger 24. A first heat exchanger tube 28 extends from the front of the depending portion 26 of the heat exchanger where it communicates with the interior thereof forwardly through the tank and through the front wall 17 and in spaced relation to the bottom of the tank and in particular in spaced relation to the channel 20 therein. The forward end of the first heat exchanger tube 28 extends into a compartment forwardly on the frame 10 of the tank and has an end enclosure 29 which in turn receives an oil burner head 30 which is supplied by a plurality of oil lines 31 and a combustion air supply tube 32. The combustion air supply tube communicates with a circulation air source tube 33 which in turn is supplied with air by a large blower 34 which is located in the compartment forward of the tank and is adapted to be driven by a suitable power source such as an internal combustion engine 35 which' is connected to the blower by a typical V-belt drive 36. Additionally, the internal combustion engine drives a generator (not shown) which provides electric current for operating the firing plug 36 of the oil burner, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, and the compartment in which the oil burner head 30, the blower 34 and the internal combustion engine 35 are positioned is defined by a top portion 37 extending between the front wall 17 of the tank and the back wall 38 of a fuel tank 40 which is positioned on the front of the frame 10 and provided with a filler opening and cap 41. The tank 40 has a front wall 42 and a top portion 43 and it will be seen that its side walls are offset outwardly in the same configuration as the tank on the rear portion of the frame It in which the heat exchanger is located. Hinged access doors 44 located on the opposite sides of the compartrnent in which the oil burner head 30 and blower 34 and internal combustion engine 35 are positioned provide convenient access to the interior thereof and at least one is normally opened when the snow liquefying device is in operation. The compartment also encloses oil lines and a pump by means of which fuel from the tank etl'is delivered to a control valve panel 45 from which the several oil lines 31 lead to the burner head 30. A valve 46 is located in the tube 33 adjacent its point of communication with the first heat exchanger tube 28 and a tubular nozzle 47 is positioned within the outer end 7 beyond the'opening therein throughwhich the air from the blower is introduced under controlof the valve 46. v V A pair of secondary heat exchanger tubes 48 and 49 are attached to and communicate-with the depending portions and 27 respectively of the transverse heat exchanger 24 and each of these secondary heat exchanger tubes 48 and 49 has a series of apertures 50, 50 spaced longitudinally thereof below the center line thereof as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The forward ends of the secondary heat exchanger tubes 48 and 49 are closed and are positioned in spaced relation; to the front wall 17 as may be 'seen in FIGURE 5 'of the drawings. v

It will thus be seen that air from the'blower 34 is delivered through the primary air source tube 33 directly to the first exchanger tube 28 and byway of the combustion air supply tube' 32 to the burner head and that all of the air is therefore directed into the first heat exchanger tube 28 together with the products of combustion from the oil burner. 'The air and the productsof combustion must flow re'arwardly through the heat exchanger tube 23 into the depending portion 26 of the transverse heat exchanger 24, itbeing observed, as by referring to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, that the tube 28 is totally immersed in water in the tank of the snow liquefying device. The air 1 and products of'conibustion then flow sidewardly and downwardly through the portions 25 and 27 and into the point well below the liquid level in the tank of the snow lines 31 are also controlledby automatic valves positioned within a control panel and provided with conventional control means such as customary in oil burner constructions; A main oil supply line 56 communicates therewith and extends to a fuel pump '57 which in turn has a supply line 58 which'extends to the fuel tank 40 heretofore referred to. The bottom of, the compartment defined by the liquefying tank and the fuel tank ,40is indicated by the numeral 59 and comprises a suitable metal panel directly supported'by the frame 10 as best seen in-FIGURES '3 and 4 of the drawings. 7 v a 'It will thus .be seen that a snow liquefying device has been disclosed which comprises aself-contained trailer unit which may bemoved from placeto place as desired where it maybe conveniently usedto dispose of snow, collected, and loaded thereinto by means (not shown) and it will occur to those skilled in the 'art that if desired a snow elevator mechanism can be attached to the rear of the *device and arranged so thatsnow'is picked updirectly from the ground and moved upwardly into the-liquefying tank. Snow positioned in the liquefying tank of the device is subjected to 'a very rapid liquefying action as occasioned by the high rate of heat exchange obtained by the heat exchange tubes 28, 48 and 49 and more specifically by the dischargeifrom the tubes 48, 49 of the products of combustion and the agitating air directly into the liquid in the tank which very effectively breaks up the snow and liquefies it as it sinks into the liquid in the tank.

V It has been determined that the device will burn two gale lons of No. 2 fuel oil per ton of snow liquefied with a suitable burner firing rate and that the device is capable of easily handling more than twenty-five tons of snow-per hour. and that larger quantities of snow may be handled by increasing the size of the tank and the length of the heat liquefier and move upwardly and therethrough causing se- 'vere agitation. Snow deposited in the snow liquefying tank is immediately subjected to the boiling, rolling action of the heatedwater iii the tank and the combination of the heat and the water and the motion quickly liquefies the same and the liquid drains off through the side of the tank and specifically through an outlet orifice 51 to which a 7 flexible disposal hose 52 may be attached "and lead to a sto'rnisewer or the like.

By referring now to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, it will p be seen that the first heat exchanger tube 28 and the'secondary heat exchanger tubes 48 and 49 are spaced with respect to the bottom, sides and end walls of the snow liquefier tank and that all of the surfaces thereof with the exception of the upper portions of the transverse heat exchanger 24 are therefore utilized in heating the vwaterin the tank. The elevated portion of the transverse heat exchanger 24 provides a radiant heat effect'and is necessary to prevent liquid in the tank from flowing upwardly into the same from whence it could flow into the first heat exchanger tube 28. The portions of the transverse heat exchanger 24 which interconnect the depending portions 25, 26 and 27 are utilized as heat exchanger surfaces by. providing bubble pipes 53, 53 which communicate with the depending portions 25' and 27 and extend upwardly exchanger tubes andproportionately increasing the amount of fuel; burned therein.

-It will thus be seen that a snow liquefying device has been disclosedwhich meets the several objects of my'in- ,vention; and having thus described'rny invention, what I 1. A snow liquefying device including a tank having bottorn'fside and end walls andan open top and a liquid outlet spaced with respect to the bottom thereof, a first heat exchanger tube positioned across said tank in spaced relation to the bottom thereof and having one end extending through one'end wall of said tank, a pair of secondary heat exchanger tubes extending across said tank inspaced relatube beyond the wall of the tank and means connecting said air pressurefsource to said first heat exchanger tube and to said oil burner, an oil line having a control valve thereinf'establishing communication between said fuel a source and. said oil burner.

and outwardly so that air and the products of combustion arising therefrom will lift the water in the tank upwardly against the lower surfaces of the horizontal heat exchanger 1 24 for the indicated purpose. Brackets 54, 54 on the opposite sides of the horizontal heat. exchanger rest on and are secured to the support brackets 23, 23 heretofore referred to as best seen in FIGURES of the drawings.

By referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the eppositely disposed access doors 44, 44 may be seen invertical section and a detail of the headend of the first c'ombustion tube 28, closure 29 and oil burner head 31may be seen. The o'illines 31 are also illustrated and it willbe noted that'each is provided with a control valve. The oil 2. The snow liquefier set forth in claim and wherein saidfirs't heat exchanger tube and said second heat exchahgerftubesare positioned in said tank in'spaced parallel relation on a commonhoriz'ontal plane.

3. The snow liquefier set forth in claim 1 and wherein said transverse heat exchanger comprises a hollow body member having three spaced depending portions and wherein said firstand second heat exchanger tubes commuriicate with said spaced depending portions. V

4. The snow liquefier set forth in claim 1 and wherein said transverse heat exchangerrcornprises a hollow body member having three spaced depending portions and 'Whereinsaid first and second heat exchanger tubes communicate with said spaced depending portions and wherein the upper portion of the transverse heat exchanger is positioned above said liquid outlet.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/44 Brosius 126360 9/62 West et a1 126343.5 10/62 Luring et a1 126-360 X 10/63 Park 126-343.5 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 2/55 France.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SNOW LIQUEFYING DEVICE INCLUDING A TANK HAVING BOTTOM, SAID END WALLS AND AN OPEN TOP AND A LIQUID OUTLET SPACED WITH RESPECT TO THE BOTTOM THEREOF; A FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE POSITIONED ACROSS SAID TANK IN SPACED RELATION TO THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND HAVING ONE END EXTENDING THROUGH ONE END WALL OF SAID TANK, A PAIR OF SECONDARY HEAT EXCHANGER TUBES EXTENDING ACROSS SAID TANK IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHAGER TUBE AND EACH HAVING ONE OF ITS ENDS CLOSED, SAID SECONDARY HEAT EXCHANGE TUBES BEING APERTURED IN THEIR LOWER PORTIONS, A TRANSVERSE HOLLOW HEAT EXCHANGER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE AND WITH THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID SECONDARY HEAT EXCHANGER TUBES, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ARY HEAT EXCHANGER TUBES POSITIONED BELOW SAID LIQUID OUTLET AND NORMALLY COVERED WITH WATER IN SAID TANK, A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE AND A FUEL SOURCE AN OIL BURNER MOUNTED ON THE END OF SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE BEYOND THE WALL OF THE TANK AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID AIR PRESSURE SOURCE TO SAID FIRST HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE AND TO SAID OIL BURNER, AN OIL LINE HAVING A CONTROL VALVE THEREIN ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FUEL SOURCE AND SAID OIL BURNER. 